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Bills' inspiring 'survivor' practices noble offseason leisure activity

Damar Hamlin makes productive time with books during the Buffalo Bills' offseason

Owen Klein

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The NFL offseason is quiet compared to the grind of fall in the quest for the Lombardi Trophy. However, players can't just rest on their laurels in the offseason, and Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin keeps his head in the game, so to speak, in the offseason by reading.

Hamlin, one of the biggest inspirations in the football world, is working on a book about overcoming adversity and he has taken pleasure in a couple of good reads during the offseason.

ESPN's Tim McManus noted two books that have been the subject of Hamlin's eyes: Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins and Fear Is a Choice: Tackling Life's Challenges with Dignity, Faith, and Determination by James Conner and Tiffany Yecke Brooks.

Damar Hamlin
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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"Can't Hurt Me is about being able to wire your brain to where situations that are going on around you or happening to you, can't necessarily have that much hold over how you go forward," Hamlin told ESPN, adding that reading allows him to use his time productively.

McManus highlighted books players from other teams have red so far, ranging from Harry Potter to War and Peace, showing the wide range of tastes that these men have.

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One of the biggest seasons in Buffalo Bills history is coming, and being mentally strong is going to be key for them to win the Super Bowl. Reading helps in a big way.

Damar Hamlin
Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3). / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Owen Klein
OWEN KLEIN

Owen Klein has covered football, basketball and baseball for Penn State athletics as a broadcaster on local radio, including producing Penn State’s 2024 men’s basketball Big Ten Tournament games and calling Penn State football’s Whiteout vs. Washington in November 2024. He has internships with the Buffalo Bisons and CBS affiliate WIVB in Buffalo, NY, in the summer of 2025. He is a Penn State University broadcast journalism student at the Bellisario College of Communications majoring in broadcast journalism and is passionate about college and professional sports, the Pokémon Video Game Championships and the Buffalo Bills.

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